


Disaster of a Revenant

by sunraysinthesea



Series: Yakumo [1]
Category: Code Vein (Video Game)
Genre: ABORT!! ABORT!!!, Crack series, F/M, I got so offended the first time a Lost kicked me, I will be caught DEAD before I lose my damn progess in this hell of a map, Independent Chapters, Loose hair during battle, Smudged makeup, The cathedral of sacred blood is the worst, Y'know it's gonna get in your eyes, Yakumo has a nerf gun and is having none of your self deprecating bs, about apples, aggressive water hedgehogs giving you a rough acupuncture session, aka I modeled my protag purely with aesthetics, bribing louis to get dirt on yakumo, but your legs look stunning dw, chronological order?, dumbasses both of them, dying to the same boss for like 20 times, free falling, good evening ladies and gentlemen its loving jack rutherford hours, greek mythology fun fact, it aint practical, jack and eva are mc's parents, jealous yakumo assumes things, louis likes to make fun of yakumo, meeting yakumo for the first time was wild, mutated sea urchins, power naps, random items in the middle of nowhere, ridiculously short skirts, running from mobs with low hp, snippets about random stuff, tank yakumo is badass and is the best partner, they're bound to flip up, think again, those spiky fuckers in the howling pit, wall vines to fuck you over bc why not, weapons tugging at your clothes, wearing high heels during combat, whach 'em boxes BABEY, yakumo and protag share 1 (one) brain cell, yeah we don't have that here, you thought you could land on that platform to get the shiny?, your lipstick won't stay in place when you're in literal hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2020-03-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:54:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 16,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21558922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunraysinthesea/pseuds/sunraysinthesea
Summary: Protagonist is a disaster of a revenant but Yakumo is always there to pick up her slack.
Relationships: Protagonist (Code Vein)/Yakumo Shinonome
Series: Yakumo [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1555579
Comments: 94
Kudos: 155





	1. High heels

There are no words to describe the regret you feel at the moment. You really should have known better than to wear high heels for combat. They looked good and being so sure they were not as uncomfortable as they looked, you had picked them without a second thought. The lace-up style would provide good support for your ankles, plus, the heel was not even that high. You were soon to change your mind, however. 

After being kidnapped with your newly acquired friend, being thrown into a pit, being picked up from the said pit only to practically be thrown into a deadly den of the Lost, it didn't take you long to figure out you were too naive to think the only disadvantage of the heels would be the slight pain in your muscles. In a post-apocalyptic world where the floor is never smooth, you've lost count of the times you stepped on a stone and almost snapped your ankle in half, or how it was considerably harder to move or climb in steep places. It was better after a short while when Louis took you to the Homebase, the hot springs and the soft beds being the much needed effective therapy for your sore legs. 

Enough time has passed for you to get used to the heels, and your movement in them has improved. Accompanying you to the areas Louis marked on the map ever since you first arrived, your level of discomfort didn't escape Yakumo's attention and being the ever-so-attentive partner, it appears he took it upon himself to watch out for you extra carefully on your searches. 

Needless to say, the dried-up trenches were not treating you well. Your movements are wobbly at best with your heel getting stuck in the cracks of the parched ground and throwing off your balance every ten steps or so. Yakumo sticks close, his arm occasionally shooting out to catch you when you stumble. He never fails to snicker or sigh fondly each time. 

'' Sometimes I think you're doing this on purpose because you like being in my arms so much'' He says after he catches you for an umpteenth time. The tight grip on your waist makes you look up to his face, and he greets you with a knowing smirk. Blood rushes to your face, making you instinctively avert your gaze and elbow him in the ribs. His laughter echoes like bells in the wind and the search for blood beads continue. 

Time drags on, and after what feels like days, your steps come to a halt at the sight of an unpurified mistle. Blood drips from your clenched hand and onto the mistle as white light surrounds both of you. Deciding it was enough for today, the two of you teleport back to the Homebase. 

A few days later, Yakumo calls you out to the terrace, a bag slung over his shoulder. He points to the chair and you sit, eyebrows raised in confusion all the while. Yakumo sighs and scratches his neck abashedly before pulling out a pair of combat boots from the bag he was holding. 

'' As much as I love the way you fall into my arms whenever you stumble, it would be troublesome if you were to lose your balance or something in a boss fight. The Lost are not to be taken lightly. We might not die, but it still hurts when we take damage. I'm... not sure if it will fit. Maybe we can adjust it, if not I'll just look for another pair. After all, it's on me to take care of you. Right, partner?'' 

It was then you realized your heart was no longer yours.


	2. Loose Hair

Wet. Wet. Wet.

Howling Pit was not the best place to let your hair flow freely with all the water in the place. Exploring knee-deep in murky water, having to go through little waterfalls to collect items, the Lost throwing you around and dunking you in water, it didn't even take ten minutes for you to be completely drenched from head to toe. Your soaked hair clinging to your neck and cheeks irritated you to no end, making you constantly throw it back with a huff. 

Yakumo seems equally as irritated, swiftly pushing the wet bangs out of his face with a single sweep of his hand. Tapping the spine of Oni Bane on his shoulder impatiently, he craned his head to a path leading to the back. 

'' We're mostly done with the area, all that's left is to check the back of that path over there. The boss should be there.'' he waits for you to catch up with him before making his way over to the said path. 

''Let's get this over with. I can hear the hot springs calling my name,'' you grumble. Yakumo pats your back reassuringly. 

The path leads the two of you to a clearing where Louis is standing a few steps back from the girl sitting on her knees, staring at a hat. The hat of the boy. Running to her side, you squeeze her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her, but Louis' warning voice sends the sirens in your head blaring. 

''Something is coming.''

Alarmed, everyone takes position for combat, weapons in hand. Something glides in the water, circling the group like a shark before a spear shoots out from the water, soon followed by the boss. Yakumo dives in headfirst as always, leading the rest of you to battle with confidence. You take a few fatal damages from the boss's irregular attacks, but Yakumo is always there to heal you or back you up. Soon you can see a pattern in its attacks. Seeing an opening, you run to the boss, delivering quick but powerful slashes one by one. It quickly regains its balance and charges towards Yakumo, who is on the other side of the clearing. You make the mistake of letting your guard down to take some time to heal. 

Hearing Yakumo yell out your name makes you jump, and you whip around to face the source of the voice, but your wet hair whips along with your movement and sticks to your face, obscuring your vision. You don't have enough time to react, and the last thing you feel is the agonizing pain of being impaled. 

Opening your eyes, you find yourself awaken near the mistle, Yakumo awakening not too far from you. Your hands fly up to cover your face in embarrassment, making Yakumo release a deep sigh as he pries your hands off your face and flicks your forehead affectionately.

'' I can't believe you at times.'' He puts his hands on your shoulders and turns you around, a hair tie dangling loosely from his mouth as his hands come up to gather your hair back. He tightly ties your hair in a sturdy ponytail similar to his own and puts an encouraging hand on your head.

'' No more loose hair on the battlefield. Now, let's try that again. The hot springs are calling our names, remember?''


	3. Free falling

Louis has brought to your attention that whenever he accompanies the two of you on a search, he sees you as a kitten being held from the scruff of its neck by a Doberman. Well, he is not exactly wrong. On one hand, there is Yakumo who has a dignified way of carrying himself much like a Doberman, perhaps a habit leftover from his days in the military. On the other hand, you, despite your exceeding abilities and intellect, do not possess an aura of sorts, and you can't really deny Louis when he says you look like a kitten when the memories of the times that you stumbled in your heels and died several dumb deaths are still fresh in your mind. 

Yakumo laughs like there is no tomorrow when you bring this up when you two are chilling on the couch, holding his stomach and throwing his head back as his booming laughter draws the attention of the entire home base, and you even see poor Io jolt up from her sleep out of the corner of your eye. He lifts a shaky hand towards her as an apology but is still not in the shape to talk, judging by the tears falling from his eyes. Frankly, no one in the base has ever seen him laugh so hard. He says it was the accuracy that set it off. You pout for the rest of the day. 

Little did you know, Yakumo's laughing fit would prove to be completely justified when exploring the Cathedral of the Sacred Blood. The pure white structures and carvings were all exquisite to look at. For a while, that is. After some time all the white started to hurt your eyes, making you squint to see more clearly, and sometimes you would stray dangerously close to the edge of the path, Yakumo's hand pulling you by the back of your neck back to the middle of the road being your only warning. ''Make sure to watch your step around these ledges'' He keeps reminding you.

''We cleared this section, but the area is nowhere near done. Are there any paths we are missing?'' You turned to ask Yakumo after you did a once-over of the section you were in, finding no doors or paths leading to a new place. 

''Don't think so.'' He shrugs. 

A troubled hum leaves your lips as you take another look at the area, scanning for any possible ways to continue the search. Staring far off into the distance, it almost seems like the structure is layered. 

_Layered! Of course!_

''We just need to find somewhere close enough so we can jump to the lower layers!'' With that, the search for a place to jump down without possibly dying starts. ''Over here!'' You hear Yakumo call out a bit farther from you, but your attention is drawn by an object shining ways down. Looking up to see you staring down somewhere else, he comes over to look. 

''Something is shining down there. It might be a useful item.'' you point to where the object is sitting. ''It's too far down.'' Yakumo points out, but you don't detect any rejection in his voice. ''I might take a bit of damage from the fall, but my health is good. Plus, it's perfectly aligned with the platform we are standing on. I can get it.'' you reassure, and he nods in agreement. 

With that, you take a step into the air, bracing yourself for the landing, and raise your arms. However, your feet never meet the platform below. Your arm immediately shoots up the moment your feet miss the platform by a hair's width, but you can't grasp the platform in time. Before you know it, you're free-falling down the area. 

Yakumo looks... a mix of exhausted and worried, maybe with a dash of irritation when you open your eyes near the mistle. It seems he was waiting for you. Clearing your throat in embarrassment, 

''I'm pretty sure it's you who's jinxing me at this point.'' you shuffle your weight from one leg to the other.

Crossing his arms, he raises an eyebrow. 

''....I'm sorry.'' you hang your head, unable to meet his gaze.

Yakumo sighs as he moves closer and pinches your cheek, paying no mind to your whines. ''I'm _this close,_ '' he pinches the thumb and pointer finger of his other hand, ''to giving you a forceful piggyback ride to ensure your safety. I will tie you to my back if I must.'' 

You stop pawing at his hand on your cheek. ''Your fingers are touching.'' your voice comes out slurrier than you expect. Yakumo answers without missing a beat before he hauls you into his arms. 

_''I know.''_

Louis raises his head at the sound of the mistle and opens his mouth to greet you, only to close it not a second after at the sight of a smug Yakumo returning with a rather docile looking you in his arms. He is quick to hide his face behind his book, but it's quite obvious he's laughing from the way his shoulders are shaking.


	4. Fight or Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This happened in my friend's playthrough. She had just got done killing a few Lost, had about 28 HP left when she got the notification of the invading Lost, no regeneration left. This is practically about what happened to her during her quest to find a mistle with 28 HP, a mob hot on her heels with stray Lost popping out about everywhere she went. Screaming ensued, and it was extremely fun to watch. She ended up finding the mistle though, and I'm sure I witnessed a miracle that day.

Out of all the places you have explored so far, the Cathedral of the Sacred Blood has to be the worst. Everything in the area itself is so similar looking to the point it hinders the exploration, mistles are nowhere to be seen, and the cramped spaces in the towers has too many blind spots for the enemies to hide. 

There is only hoping the next area isn't such a pain in the ass. 

Why are there so many snipers? Where do they all even come from? Your regenerations are no more from eating too many bullets in the face from snipers, making your low health a more distressing issue than it usually is. It's almost as if the world wants to prove to you that things can, in fact, get worse from there when an unseen Lost lands a solid strike on you, making you stumble back as red splotches cover your blurry vision, and you can barely discern Yakumo's concerned yell with all the buzzing in your ears. Yakumo is in no shape to heal you with his low health, curses leaving his mouth rapidly as he tries to fend off the Lost and get to you. 

_One of the Lost has invaded in search of blood._

Your eyes probably look like they are going to bulge out of your skull. Yakumo has the same look on his face, and though he technically is in a better shape than you are, there is no way of coming out of this without dying. He takes an offensive stance in front of you just as a horde of Lost come flooding in, and you pull at his sleeve towards the exit the opposite of where they are coming from. 

''Nope! Nope! Nope! We are _so_ not doing this!!!'' You throw yourself out of the cramped space to the open corridors, the mob hot on your heels.

'' Are you out of your mind?! There is no way we can outrun a mob under these circumstances!'' He yells but follows you nonetheless.

His words fall on deaf ears as you frantically look around for paths to take as you chant the word 'mistle' as if speaking it into existence would somehow work in your favor, and you take an impulsive turn to the left in hopes of putting a bit more distance between you two and the Lost, however, not only is the road a dead end with the middle of it collapsed, another Lost jumps up from the said dead end and almost finishes you off, a strangled scream leaving your mouth as you barely dodge it and scramble back to the path you came from. 

''Not this way!'' 

'' Yeah, I can see that!'' Yakumo replies as he pulls you along another path, and after what feels like countless turns and an infinite amount of running, you realize you're in an area of the map you haven't explored before. Looking back to see the mob chasing you is bigger than ever brings tears of despair to your eyes, which soon morphs into tears of joy when you look ahead to see a glimmering white light far off into the distance.

_A Mistle!!_

Thanking every god in existence, you two throw yourselves onto the mistle, matching waves of laughter of disbelief leaving your mouths as the two of you are engulfed by a blinding light. Nothing beats the feeling of turning back to see the Lost has dispersed after making a full recovery. Yakumo is the first one to speak. 

'' You are insufferable, did you know that?'' he throws an arm around your shoulder and pulls you close, ruffling your hair. 

'' It's kind of hard to forget when you remind me every day.'' you retort back, wrapping your arm around his waist. 

'' Did you even think that through? I can bet you two bottles of aged brandy you didn't.'' he looks into your eyes, a teasing smirk plastered on his face. 

'' Does this look like the face of a woman who thought this through? Now wipe that shit-eating grin off your face before I keep the stash of alcohol to myself.'' His seductive smirk morphs into a hurt puppy face, and you can't help but laugh when he whines about how cruel you are being.


	5. Smudged Makeup

Having been wearing makeup for so long, it's no wonder that you forget you're wearing any at times. When you are fighting with your life on the line, slaying the Lost one after another, mapping areas, purifying mistles and trying to get more information about the blood beads, it's no surprise that checking if your lipstick is still in place is the least of your worries. 

City of Falling Flame lives up to its name, it looks and feels no different from hell. The blazing hot air makes it difficult to breathe, and you have to constantly bring a sleeve up to your face to wipe the sweat trickling down your face. Having to be mindful of your steps constantly puts you on edge, but you would rather be distressed than to have a good chunk of your health wiped off from walking around aimlessly. Simply being careful doesn't prove to be enough, as there are times when you have to step on scorching lava to get items or get from one place to another.

After replenishing yourselves at the next mistle you have found, a hand on your shoulder stops you from setting off. 

'' Are you sure you want to keep going? The area has been taking a toll on you.''

Yakumo sounds concerned, and he has every right to be. He has heard every single scream that got stuck in your throat whenever a Lost that ambushed you threw you on the burning ground or the countless hisses of pain that would involuntarily escape your mouth whenever you had to walk through fire. The look on your face is a mix of tired and confused as you tilt your head to the side. 

''I got fully healed just now, though?'' 

Yakumo huffs as he drags a hand through his scarlet locks. ''I meant mentally, dumbass. God, you really are a hot mess sometimes.'' 

'' When am I not?'' you answer with a light laugh, ''Also, if that pun was intended, I'm gonna hit you.''

He only gives you a smile in response and points to the mistle with his head. 

With a sigh, ''Is that okay? We haven't even made that big of a progress, you know?'' you ask. You want to take up on his offer, you really do, but the gnawing feeling of guilt when you think about how much more you could have done makes you hesitate. 

'' You don't have to push yourself so far, you know. No one is expecting you to work 'till you drop.'' A moment of silence passes.

'' Whenever I next collapse is purely up to the gods.'' There is no hiding you are trying to lighten the mood, but Yakumo can still see the doubt lingering on your face.

''Don't act like we're running out of time.'' the moment you open your mouth to retort, he raises a hand to stop you, ''We might not have all the time in the world, but we are much farther ahead than initially planned. It would keep me awake at night knowing I let you push your limits time and time again. Plus, everyone at the home base would skin me alive if something were to happen to you.'' 

With that, he gives you a light push in the mistle's direction, the soft smile on his face matching your own. 

The silence and the amount off odd looks that greets you at the home base make your eyebrows furrow with confusion. 

''Did...Did Yakumo finally get some?'' You hear Murasame lean in to whisper to Coco, making the older woman lightly hit her on the back of the head. 

_''...What?''_ Expecting an answer, you fix your gaze to Louis, who immediately clears his throat and averts his gaze, a light blush coating his face. 

Coco, perhaps taking pity on you after seeing your obliviousness, decides to enlighten you. ''You might wanna take a look in the mirror, sweetheart. I would've said you two were sucking face if Yakumo's face wasn't clean of your lipstick.'' At your stunned look, she adds, ''The sweating doesn't help your image either, by the way. And the matching looks of content on your faces. Do you need me to go on?'' her teasing tone growing stronger after each sentence. Your face goes beet red as you slap Yakumo across the arm, muttering a hushed 'Why didn't you tell me?!'

Yakumo scratches his neck sheepishly. '' You looked kind of hot all disheveled, with your lipstick smudged and all. When fighting, especially.'' You let out an embarrassed groan, your hands coming up to cover your face. So _that_ was why he was so distracted during combat. He pries them off your face as he leans down,

_'' Though, by all means, I would like to be the reason your makeup is smudged next time.''_


	6. Kick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I literally got so offended when a Lost kicked me away during combat and it took me a good minute to understand why I took damage, so here you go. Also, I learned that no matter how much the characteristics of people's MCs change, there is still a solid amount of chaotic dumbass in them, so I'm glad.

The moment you step foot into the next area on the map, you want to step out. Your frown deepens the more you look around, and you spare no effort to mask your discontent. Yakumo, seeing the crinkles around your eyes and your furrowed eyebrows, graces you with a reassuring pat on the shoulder, probably thinking the same thing you do, as the similarity is too obvious to turn a blind eye to. 

The Crypt Spire is triggering your Cathedral of the Sacred Blood war flashbacks. 

A shudder runs through your body, and the hairs on your neck rise as the memories of the complicated map, identical roads, the mobs, and getting head-shotted by snipers unseen flash through your mind, but a little voice from deep within _assures_ you this one is going to be way, _way_ worse. You clench your eyes shut, take a deep breath, and one last dejected sigh leaves your mask with a hiss before you set out to explore. 

Climbing up what you are sure is more stairs than anyone would need to climb in a lifetime, you reach another clearing. 

''Hmm... It seems like all the big shots are here to play, huh?'' you murmur at the sight of a few snipers and several 'knights' patrolling around two particularly large Lost. 

'' Must be a pack or something. Do we charge straight in or do you want to lure them out one by one?'' Yakumo doesn't take his eyes off the scene, but you know he is waiting for a command. 

'' They don't seem that strong, and we're in pretty good shape. Plus, it's not a cramped space, so you have plenty of room to move. Piece of cake. No need to waste time by dealing with them one by one.'' 

With that, you whip out your bayonet and start taking out the snipers one by one, be it with bullets or your gifts with Yakumo guarding you, only lowering his sword to swing at the other Lost charging towards you with enough force to send them staggering back if they come too close. The moment the last sniper falls on the ground with a pained scream, Yakumo jumps at the knights still standing. You snort at the sight of him eagerly swinging his weapon at enemies, it looks like he was itching to get this over with quickly. Putting away your bayonet and taking out your blade, you decide it is time to join in the fun.

The Lost you are fighting seems like an easy way of obtaining haze at this point. It loses the grip on its weapon from the blow you deliver, and just as you are about the deal the finishing blow, you stagger back, a sharp sting in your abdomen. Dumbfounded, you stand there for a few seconds, looking around for the source of the blow. Then it dawns on you. 

''Did you just kick me? Did you _seriously_ just kick me?!''

Your mouth is hanging open as your free hand settles itself on your chest, your tone carrying various degrees of bafflement, irritation, and confusion. The grip you have on your weapon tightens, and you lunge towards it, going in for the kill, but with an impulsive move, you accidentally kick it off the edge when you put too much force in your legs out of spite, the offended look never leaving your face. 

Yakumo turns around to see you staring down the edge, and he instinctively rushes to your side to clamp a firm hand on your shoulder before you decide to skydive off the ledge again. It takes all of his will to bite back a snort at the offended look on your face. 

''Yakumo, it kicked me!'' 

'' And you kicked it back?'' Even with all his muscles clenched to keep him from laughing, his voice still comes out shaky.

''...Ow.'' You mutter out a bit too late, the hand on your chest moving to your abdomen. ''Bastard. Took the haze down with him too.'' You pout. Yakumo's hand on your shoulder tightens a bit as he leads you away from the edge, biting his lip. 

He doesn't have the guts to tell you how cute you look with your hand on your tummy, eyebrows furrowed, and your lower lip hanging out in a pout. _Yet._ His lips curl up just thinking about how he is going to tease you when you two return to the home base.


	7. Unexpected Items

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scouting for valuables to gift your companions, you must draw a line when some items that pop out of unexpected places are downright ridiculous.

As much as it confused you at first, you got pretty used to finding random items laying around and making use of them, such as giving them away as gifts to your friends based on their likes, exchanging them for haze, or handing them over to Murasame as materials to upgrade your weapons or blood veils. However, at times when your mind still has the time and space to wander, it never failed to baffle you. Lumps of Queen iron, old-world materials or loss shards of various sizes make sense to an extent, sure. But you draw the line at finding downright ridiculous items laying around as if planted for a treasure hunt. 

A bunch of items for consumption are scattered around, completely undamaged. Apocalypse or not, as a former human, you can't imagine anyone leaving their food unattended, especially if it is something as generally beloved as noodles, sandwiches, tacos, or _chocolate (which Yakumo made the mistake of feeding it to you once), for goodness' sake!_ You may have woken up remembering next to nothing about yourself or the world before the Great Collapse, but the more you learn and the more information and memories you gather, the more you think about it. It just doesn't make sense that you come across several bottles of alcohol, expensive cigars, fountain pens and all other types of what you would call 'luxury items' can be acquired easier than it was before. Though it could be the fact that most of humanity has kicked the bucket. 

In every area you explore, your eyes are peeled for the items nonetheless. As much as you would like to be more 'subtle' about it, the way your friends' faces light up at the sight of unexpected gifts have you melting every single time. 

It was thanks to Yakumo that you first realized it. You have picked up a stray bottle of Boutique Sake because it looked like it was in a good condition, without thinking much of it. Only after you retired for the night that day, it dawned on you that you had no idea what to do with it. Wracking your brain for an answer, you decided it was the best option to give it to Yakumo, for many reasons. Because he was the closest to you (so it wouldn't make things awkward if you tried to gift him something), because he was formerly in the military (soldiers liked their alcohol, yeah?) and because you are feeling biased when it comes to him (a fancy word for saying you fancy him). Making up your mind, you decided to give your gift to him first thing in the morning. 

You were not prepared for the delighted expression that washed over his face when you hand over the bottle, excuses clumsily falling out of your mouth. He says something about how something like this is still around and even invites you to drink together with him, 'It's more enjoyable when you share it with someone' in his words, and you nod absentmindedly, the warmth blooming in your chest too distracting for you to fully focus on what he is saying, all you know is that you want to see him like this again. 

From then on the gifts being handed to people in the home base has increased tremendously, and you make it your little secret mission to stash some items you know they would like, only to whip them out when they look even remotely sad. It seems like they have picked up on your antics after a short while, you are not exactly hiding anything and they are not blind, after all. You relish in the way Murasame does a little dance when you hand her a retro game, or how the usually calm-and-collected Louis has to make an extra effort to keep his voice from shaking when you wordlessly plop a volume of faded comics onto his lap in passing.

Yakumo is no different, giving you a radiant grin that makes you squint instinctively each time you give something to him, even when you have decided to tease him by giving him an undamaged paint set, under Louis' influence. Seeing him so flustered trying to explain why he can't take such a gift has your lips curling up in a devious smile, but being as merciful as you are, you reassuringly pat him on the back and give him a Bugarally doll as worthy compensation. 

The memory is still fresh in your mind when the two of you are exploring the Ridge of Frozen Souls, a fond smile tugging at your lips as you watch his broad back. _He has you wrapped around his finger without even knowing of it, the bastard._ The pleasant daydream you are having is cut short when a lump on the floor catches your eye. Thinking it might be something valuable, you check if Yakumo is far enough for you to slip it into your bag without him noticing it, you do a little sprint to where it lays, picking it up and dusting the snow off of it to find--

_**'' What the fuck?''**_ the words spill from your lips before you can stop them. 

''What's wrong?'' Yakumo stops and turns back swiftly, and is by your side so fast that had it not been for your loss of words, you would praise his agility. 

''Cheese.'' You lift the lump for him to see, ''Yakumo, _there is a block of cheese. Buried in snow. In the middle of nowhere._ '' 

He is as taken aback as you are but is quicker to get a hold of himself. With a nudge, 

'' I thought something happened to you. Next time you give me a false alarm like this, I'm not sharing the brandy with you.'' 

You don't like the way how sure he looks that phrase would have some sort of effect on you. Raising your eyebrows, you scoff, 

'' I'm not drinking with you because I enjoy the taste of over-glorified vinegar. Your company is the only thing that matters to me, plus, it's pretty fun to watch when you thread too close to getting absolutely smashed.'' 

You wiggle your eyebrows slyly as you take one last look at his face, relishing in the floored expression he has on before you walk past him. 

_Huh, maybe you should give the cheese to him as a keepsake._


	8. Wall Vines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is that even what they are called?

_''Agh!''_

_''Fuck!''_

_''Ow!!''_

Back at the home base, you are not exactly known for your colorful vocabulary, but you are certain Coco would use some organic soap to clean your mouth thoroughly if she were to hear the curses spilling from your lips right now.

Provisional Government Center is not as much of a drag as you thought it would be. Complicated maps? Been there, done that. Powerful enemies? You have got your ass handed to you so many times that your only concern in combat is if you can one-shot the boss on your first try. Not enough haze? One swing of your weapon is enough to grant you enough haze to buy the strongest gift of a blood code. The Lost grow stronger each area you ascend, but you grow stronger. Much, _much_ stronger. After going through--how many areas has it been? Counting with your fingers for a moment, you can't help the impressed hum leaving your lips as you give yourself an imaginary pat on the back. Twelve. After going through _twelve_ circles of hell so far, you could proudly claim nothing could surprise you anymore. 

Except wall vines. 

_' Whose idea was this? I just wanna chat, I promise.'_

Yakumo never fails to snicker or laugh shamelessly each time you get hit with one of them, the bastard. You would have been genuinely hurt he is laughing at your pain if you weren't so bitter about him laughing at you in general. He has shown the decency of at least trying to muffle his laugh when you feigned hurt, telling him how it takes a good chunk off of your health. He did not show the decency of keeping the snarky comments to himself, though. 

The exploration of the area is routine other than the damned wall vines, cutting down Lost, pocketing the haze dropped, doing people's bidding (if there are any people, that is), finding mistles, mapping the area, getting lost, _being skewered with vines--_

_''Ack!!''_ You stumble a few steps forward, only to be hit with another group of vines, your vision blurring as you try to find your footing. Placing a hand on a _safer_ wall, you try to even out your ragged breathing before you use one of your regenerations. A familiar laughter echoes throughout the corridor as Yakumo, who has been trailing behind you for some reason, slowly makes his way towards you. 

''Heh. Fool.'' He chuckles, tapping the spine of his sword on his shoulder. Shooting a half-hearted glare in his direction, you grumble at him to hurry up. His amusement proves to be too distracting for him, as he does not dodge and walks over as if taking a walk in the park, and much to your delight, gets stabbed with the same group of vines he just saw you being impaled with. _**Twice.**_

This time it is your booming laughter that disturbs the tranquil atmosphere of the area, cutting through the silence _\--if you exclude Yakumo's barely suppressed yell, that is,_ like a hot knife through butter. You have to put your hands to your buckled knees to keep your balance as the laughter sends your body shaking to the point tears of cruel joy are welling up in your eyes, soon trickling down your mask and falling to the floor in droplets. 

It takes a while for you to regain composure, and you slowly let go of your knees and wipe the tears off your eyes. You are met with Yakumo's offended look the moment you lift your face, which is enough to immediately send you into another fit of laughter. Karma feels sweet, so sweet that you can not even utter out any jeering remarks, let alone think them. 

'' Yeah, yeah, it's really funny. Are you done now? We have an area to explore.'' He tries to play it off, but his tone is a mix of flustered and bitter, his cheeks a lovely shade of pink as he scratches his neck and rolls his eyes, unable to meet your gaze. You were always fond of seeing Yakumo sport a blush the same color as his hair, but oh, it looks worlds apart when the blush is caused by his embarrassment, you note smugly. 

Masking your giggles by heaving a dramatic sigh, you sing,

''Of course. It's not like you have just walked right into the vines you have seen me get impaled with seconds before, _twice,_ with the cheekiest look I have ever seen on your face, after making fun of me for what felt like decades. Yeah, no biggie. Completely normal. Definitely not something for me to tease you with. Happens to everyone.'' mouth stretching into a grin that gets wider and wider with each word you utter. 

''...Dumbass.'' you add pointedly, making him bump his shoulder with yours as he passes you by to lead the way with an agonized moan. Huffing in amusement, you continue, ''Careful, now that you are leading the way, there won't be anyone getting skewered first to show you where the vines are. Not that it has stopped you from taking damage, though.''

'' Cut it out, I get it. Sorry I made fun of you.'' he groans. 

A smirk settles on your face, your tongue darting out to wet your lips at the sight of his bulky build fidget nervously under your mischevious gaze, the scarlet tint on his face ever so prominent.


	9. Power Naps and Little Accidents

Nobody fancies getting killed more than a dozen times in the hands of the same boss. The countless deaths are not the only things hurting you, as you are sure your pride took way more damage than all of your losses combined, Yakumo unintentionally rubbing salt on your wound when trying to console you by saying 'Everyone has bad days'. There was one time you were so, so close to defeating it, though your health was low and you were out of healing items, but one precise blow delivered by the boss disintegrated every bit of hope you had left of defeating it, and Yakumo fails to revive you when it strikes another blow on your dead _(double dead, technically speaking)_ body.

And it was back to square one of dying from deep slashes almost cutting you in half, blows slamming you so hard to the ground you could almost blend in with the floor or gifts that you do not even want to think about in fear of jinxing the next time you attack. Feeling a tingling sensation all over your body when you awaken near the mistle again, you sigh in frustration. Pulling Yakumo's sleeve to keep him from heading off, you nod towards the mistle.

'' Actually, can we get to the home base for a quick second? I think I will try to upgrade my gear with the remaining materials and haze I have. It doesn't look like we can proceed anyways.''

Hearing the bitter tone lacing your voice, Yakumo pats your back encouragingly.

'' Let's take a bit of a break then, I also want to check my gear. We can think of a strategy about how to go about this while we are there too. Come on.''

He sounds just as tired as you are, but significantly more optimistic. You nod in agreement, and with that, the two of you sluggishly teleport back to the home base.

Yakumo goes to the side to check his gear, and you decide to go over your choice of weapons from the diverse types of weapons you have collected so far before you have Murasame upgrade them. The ones you are currently using still seem like the best options after careful contemplation, and you hand them over to Murasame, asking if you have enough materials and haze. She chirps you have enough to upgrade both of your weapons plus your blood veil, making you hand the said things over for her to work her magic. She tells you it will take a while, and to take your time resting in the meantime.

It appears Yakumo is done with his preparations, as he is relaxing on one of the many comfortable couches of the home base with his eyes closed.

''Taking a power nap?'' You plop down next to him and take a position similar to his, leaning your head back and propping your elbows on the back of the couch. He shuffles near you.

'' Thinking about the strategy,'' he mumbles without opening his eyes, his sleepy voice betraying his words. You turn your head towards him with a sigh. If you were to tell him you were leaving to fight the boss again, he would join you without a doubt, not saying anything despite looking like he would fall over if he were to get up. And he tells you not to push yourself too far. Well, there is one way to anchor him down to ensure he takes a well-earned nap.

'' I'm so tired,'' you purposefully sigh out the words so you sound a bit more tired than you actually are, ''...mind if I nap on your shoulder? I honestly don't think I have enough energy to go to bed.''

All you get for an answer is a hum and Yakumo's arm wraps around your shoulder, pulling flush against his side, and he waits for you to adjust your head in a comfortable position before putting his cheek on top of your head and shuffles into a more comfortable position himself. It does not take long for light snores and the sounds of steady breathing to fill the room.

Neither of you were expecting waking up in the early morning the next day. Or being in such a deep sleep that you did not realize the fluffy blanket draped over your bodies, nor your upgraded gear leaning against the armchair on the opposite side. You glance up to Yakumo's serene face, and he shifts at the movement and pulls back to meet your gaze, his cheek red and covered in thin dents all over, most likely from your hair.

_Ah, power naps always turn out to be a full-fledged sleep session._ Yakumo is the one who greets you first.

''Good morning.'' His husky morning voice has you feeling some type of way.

''Good morning. I hope you didn't drool on my head in your sleep.'' You tease with a playful nudge before your hand flies up to cover your mouth as you let out a yawn.

Yakumo mirrors your movement, a yawn escaping his lips, and he stretches with a groan before he responds with a playful nudge of his own.

'' I have not, but you have. See, I even have a tiny wet patch on my shoulder as evidence.''

You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand instinctively, finding it to be completely dry before you glance at where he is pointing to see the non-existent evidence, slapping his arm with a pout. Silence follows for the next few minutes before you speak up.

'' Ugh, do we have to go?'' Shooting a pleading look in his way, you almost beg him to tell you that it is okay to stay. He nods grimly in response, making you throw your head back with a whine.

'' Once we kick its ass, we can throw a mini party. Food and drinks on me. Come on.''

The idea of food perks you up just as much as the idea of drinks perks him up. Throwing your blood veil on and grabbing your upgraded weapons, you teleport to the boss area with the flame of resolve dancing in your eyes.

_Just a bit more. Come on. Just a bit more._

The strategy you discussed at the mistle before you barged into the boss area proves to be quite useful, as you still had a few regenerations back and the boss seemed to be at its limit. It takes position to unleash one last special attack in desperation, defenses lower than ever as it gathers its power.

Your body moves on its own, and you are dashing towards the Greater Lost before you know it. Before you had the chance to strike, it suddenly moves, sending you staggering back a few steps. Clicking your tongue, you ready your sword and slash it across the leg up to the shoulder, your brain not registering the slight resistance from the blade and the strange sound that follows after.

The boss staggers and falls, body starting to turn into ash. Its screams of agony are music to your ears, and you drop your weapon and turn to Yakumo with a beaming smile on your face, holding your arms up. He complies with your silent request with a matching grin of his own and hugs you, even picks you up and spins you around. Without setting you down, he stops as if a lightbulb went off in his head, hooking an arm under your legs, making them dangle behind him.

''Are you okay? I thought I heard something rip.'' He pulls his head back a bit to check your clothes, a small 'aha' leaving his mouth as his eyes settle on your bottoms. ''So I heard right.''

You look down at where he is looking to see your bottoms have been ripped across your thighs, probably because you held your sword too close to your body, making it tug at the fabric and rip it when you delivered the final blow. The bits of loose fabric flopping around is clean of your blood, unlike the parts that are still touching your skin, which are dyed a deep crimson from the gash on your thigh.

''I didn't realize. Must have gotten too spiteful with the blow.'' You scratch the back of your head abashedly.

'' Wear something that doesn't get in the way your movement next time.'' Yakumo pulls the loose fabric over the gash.

Wrapping your arms around his neck, ''Oh? Telling me what to wear now, are you? Isn't that a bit possessive, sir? _Hmm?_ '' you wiggle your eyebrows with a grin.

'' I _am_ known to be a little possessive, yeah.'' his smirk makes you falter for a second before you look down at his arm, still holding you up against him.

'' I can see that from the way you still haven't put me down. So? Are you gonna carry me to the base or what?'' you poke his cheek teasingly.

He looks you in the eye with a gaze that says 'try me', before adjusting you in his arms and walking over to the mistle, refusing to set you down.

''Let's get you patched up then.''

_It's his victory this time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be just about weapons tugging at your clothes because they are really swishy and whatnot. Then I realized I'm 1k words in and writing about Yakumo and MC taking a nap. So yeah, decided to mush these two together.


	10. Player the Box Destroyer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao 10 chapters in and I forget to tell you guys I'm actually open for suggestions/requests whatever for this series! I actually have no more than one idea left, so if you have any ideas (doesn't have to fit in this work's concept necessarily, anything Yakumo is fine!), feel free to drop 'em in the comments and I'll see if I can whip anything up from it!

Yakumo can justify swinging at the Lost laying around. You know, just in case. There is a chance that they could be waiting to ambush you by playing dead--which they have done before, even though their disguise was pathetic at best. Though it is clear the ones you whack a few times are not 'playing' dead by any means, judging from the pool of blood around them. _Or the humongous swords sticking out from their chests, if it means anything._

Yet you swing at them each time, and he can see that you are putting your full strength in the blow, too. It is not just some light tapping to differentiate the 'sleeping' ones from the dead, oh no, it is straight-up bringing down your wrath upon them. The satisfied hum you do after they do not get up does nothing to help your image either. He has come to terms with it eventually.

_But boxes? Boxes are where he would draw the line._

_Seriously, why do you have to destroy every damn box you come across?!_

He found it...unreasonable, at first, for many reasons. It will dull your blade faster. You further damage the already-damaged-enough places. It makes a mess. The noise may attract attention. And you seem to enjoy it far, far too much for it to be just some ordinary task to find items hidden from sight, but you have scouted too many useful things from inside the boxes and the glass tanks that he does not feel like he has the right to tell you to stop for no reason, other than the fact that your expression of sheer joy when the impact of your blade makes the box combust makes him want to take a step or two back for good measure.

He needs to tell you to keep your expression in check sometime because you look no different from a child brutally beating up a piñata on their birthday to get their grubby hands on the candy inside when you are destroying the boxes. _...Huh. It is not too far off actually,_ he thinks, as he steals another glance at your form cutting away at the poor wooden boxes and smashing the glass tanks, the red shards raining on you like confetti, sparkling when they catch the light just right. His expression tells you all you need to know, but you like bullying Yakumo, so you purposefully go out of your way to make some boxes regret the day they were made by exaggerating your moves delivering heavier blows than necessary. It's like your own little Easter egg hunt at this point.

'' Are you just taking your frustration out or should I be concerned? Is there like...a secret message that I'm missing? Should I fear for my life?'' Yakumo chimes in after you pick up the Queen Metal laying on the floor after kicking away the rubble with your feet with a huff as if it was not you who made such a mess in the first place.

You turn to him after quietly pocketing away the item, the smirk adorning your features making Yakumo's heart stutter.

'' Ah, scared I'll make filet mignon out of you? Don't worry, I would eat you whole if I were to take a bite out of you at all.'' Bumping at his side with your hips, you send him a wink before nodding at him to come along to the newly found path that was hidden by the boxes.

'' Oho, those are some big words. I hope you don't mind me taking you up on that offer as soon as we get to a mistle, hm?'' His usual smirk finds its way onto his face and he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, his teasing tone taking a flirty turn as he jogs down a few steps to catch up with you.

_''Don't push your luck, hot stuff.''_


	11. Awkward Angle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to deviate a bit from the usual 'short skirts and awkward interaction afterward' thing. I also realized I write nothing but flirty banter in this series. Welp, here you go!

Mistakes were made, coincidentally at the same time, just like the time when you have made the wrong choice of picking high heels of doom when you are meant to engage in combat. You can only wish common sense applied to you when picking out your get-up, but apocalypse be damned, your outfit just had to be _gorgeous_.

Can anyone blame you for being confident, though? The ridiculously short skirts have always made your legs look stunning. Especially paired with the high heels you previously wore, but the lace-up combat boots Yakumo gifted you are not too shabby either, adding a touch of much-needed-edginess to your image. 

Though the skirt, albeit stupidly short, is nowhere as uncomfortable as the high heels were. On the contrary, it is easier to move around freely without any uncomfortable fabric wrapped around your legs, restricting your movement. Sure, it does get a tiny bit problematic when you jump around or climb ladders, or even when the slightest wind flutters. 

But who is there to look, anyway? With people's lives on the line, you doubt they have time to ogle at you. Plus, just about everyone showed what would formerly be considered inappropriate. Ladies, mostly their bust area _(which took a tremendous amount of willpower to look away from, lest your gaze would be glued there for the rest of your immortal life),_ and men, well... They are usually decently _'' covered''_ in theory, but still, the shirt Yakumo is wearing does nothing but highlight his ripped abs, and with three buttons undone all eyes involuntarily dart to Louis' defined chest muscles, so you could say both parties are even.

Yet another day of exploration. You don't even bother looking at the map, just marking along as you go. Yakumo tells you to 'Lead the way', and you do, by pulling him along wherever you decide to go on a spur of the moment.

Giving the map a once-over, you decide that this section of the area is complete, and you start to look for ways to get to another section. After walking in circles for a while, you find a ladder that you missed. In plain sight. 

''...We have circled the same area four times and you haven't thought about, you know, letting me know that I was missing a ladder _in plain sight?!_ '' You shot an irritated look in his direction. 

'' In my defense, I was trying to find out how many times we would go through the same area before you noticed. And in _your_ defense, it does blend in pretty well.'' He shrugs, making you purse your lips and squint at the sight of his lips twitching as if resisting to curl up in a smile. 

''Fine, let's go.'' You make your way to the ladder with a sigh, climbing up at a slow pace. Halfway through, Yakumo's cough makes you stop and look down. 

''What, caught a cold?'' You quip mockingly, pulling one of your hands away and turning to the side to get a better look at him. He is looking away from you for _some reason,_ his hand still covering his mouth. He takes a moment to answer after clearing his throat. 

'' I'm not exactly complaining about the view here, far from it actually, but aren't you...cold?'' He blurts out, making you raise your eyebrows. 

''Why would I be cold?'' 

'' Because your skirt doesn't cover much of your legs?'' The fact that he has enough sense to change his words puts a smile on your face. The wind blows as if to back him up, flipping your skirt up before it flops down it its usual place. It draws Yakumo's attention you didn't even bother to keep it in place, your hand still dangling freely at your side. 

'' Since when do revenants feel cold, Yakumo? I have been wearing the same outfit when we were exploring the Ridge of Frozen Souls as well, you know?'' Taking a step down, you bend your knee a bit to lean closer to him, an impish smirk plastered on your face. ''Ah, perhaps you have been looking up my skirt for so long that your mind has gone blank?''

Yakumo sputters some nonsense that sends you snickering, and you feel him push on the sole of your boot as a sign for you to get climbing already, and you comply with his request, turning back to extend a hand when you reach the top, helping him up. He takes your hand, albeit hesitantly, and after you pull him up he stands by your side, unmoving, hands still intertwined. Scratching the back of his neck, he apologetically squeezes your hand, his eyes landing on everwhere but you. 

'' Sorry, I didn't mean to stare at your, uh. Man, this is way more awkward than I thought it would be. Um.'' His eyebrows furrow at his loss of words, forming deep wrinkles on his forehead. 

It is obvious how genuinely uncomfortable and upset he is that he might have offended you, or worse, might have come off as something he is not, which might change your opinion of him, the sight making your heart clench in distress. He looks like he wants the ground the split open and swallow him whole. 

'' Hey, it's alright,'' you firmly squeeze his hand, ''Whatever stupid scenarios you're making up in your mind, stop it. I'm not mad or anything.'' He simply nods, so with a tug on his hand, you continue, ''It may be a little inconvenient in the 'modesty' department sometimes, but I chose this skirt for a reason. In _your_ defense, it makes my legs look superb, right?'' You grin reassuringly. He cracks a smile at that.

''Oh, _absolutely._ '' 

''Glad that it's official.'' 

With the awkward atmosphere cleared, you set out to explore yet again, hands still glued together.


	12. Spite for the Spikes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who would win? 
> 
> a Practically Immortal Vampiric Creature vs. One (1) Spiky Boi
> 
> The answer will shock you!

Being a practically important vampiric creature arguably has many benefits. Revenants are not in mortal danger so long as they protect their hearts. It doesn't matter how many times you die, or the kind of damage you take. If your heart is intact, you are safe.

Just because you are safe doesn't mean it hurts less though. Both your body and your pride, as you have come to learn later on. 

Dying is not pleasant, nonetheless. It wasn't pleasant so long ago (if your recently gained memory serves you correctly), when you could feel the agonizing aftermath of each blow you took from an enemy, your eyes burning and your skin curling as you writhed on the floor, your voice coming out either as incomprehensible moans or blood-curdling screams as your comrades uselessly tried to soothe you be it with their words or touch. It still isn't pleasant even though your nerves don't even process the pain anymore. 

Louis had told you to be careful when you first arrived, that you would lose your memories if you die one too many times. That was how he and the others at the home base have lost fragments of their memories, after all. It was only right you immediately thought that being someone whose memory was wiped clean gave you an advantage, not having anything to lose, thus getting a bit more reckless than necessary. 

Yakumo, your partner ever since you started scouting for blood beads, had to pull you to a corner for that once. After sitting through the scolding of your _life_ about how being 'reckless' (actually means making a quick, calculated decision that may be considered brave in his book, _not_ doing something without thinking or caring about the consequences of an action as you have initially thought) proves to benefit you sometimes, sure, but carelessly throwing yourself out there for the enemy to make a literal floor pancakes out of you was absolutely out of question, you decided to pull the brakes on doing everything on your own by any means possible and started talking things out with him more. This ultimately lead you to rely on him more, much to your displeasure, but you couldn't bring yourself into suddenly putting up walls or distancing yourself from the absolute sunshine of a man whose face lights up whenever he even _senses_ you're about to ask him for something.

He had the same expression when you asked him to accompany you to Howling Pit. 

'' All is well,'' you mutter under your breath as you run your fingers through the ponytail Yakumo has tied your hair into, pulling the stray wet strands away from your neck and looping them around the hair tie as you are awakened near the mistle once again. _''All is well.''_

Your heart is okay. You are safe. But it hurts. 

It hurts that out of all the enemies you have faced in this god-forsaken place, like every other Lost, the Greater Lost, the Elite Lost, _that one florescent fucker with blue claws and tentacles on its back,_ you have died, again and again, in the hands--spikes of a...mutated sea urchin. Aggressive water hedgehog. Whatever the hell that thing classifies as among the Lost. 

Dying is even more of a pain when the thing that kills you essentially boils down to a rough acupuncture session with the needles just a tad too big.

''I just... I don't understand how I can kill powerful Lost without breaking a sweat and then get killed by...by _those!_ '' you huff, ''I mean, I know I'm not weak, but it's been the billionth time I died to those things, and they are of the _lesser_ Lost! Like, like those slimy purple blobs!''

Yakumo undoes your ponytail by gently tugging at the hair tie, sliding it onto his wrist before he grabs your shoulders and turns you to fully face him. Keeping in mind to be extra careful with your wet hair, he starts brushing your hair back with the tips of his fingers. 

'' Hey, don't beat yourself up about it. Sometimes smaller and weaker enemies have greater attack power when in groups than, say, a sole powerful enemy. It's not that just one 'mutated sea urchin' kills you, it's that they surround you as a group and don't give you the chance to get up as they haul you over and over again, making you unable to recover from the damage since you're stuck in a loop. We'll just try to avoid them this time, 'kay?'' 

His blunt nails grazing your scalp numerous times quells your frustration more than his words do, and he must have noticed the way you almost lean into his touch in your relaxed stance, judging by the way he keeps brushing your hair even though you can feel that he's gathered your hair back where he wants it to be to tie it up. 

Trying to justify the reason your eyes slid to a close, you take a deep breath as if to calm down, and albeit unwillingly, open your eyes and give him a soft nod, sighing out a quiet ''Yeah.''

Yakumo leans in closer to your face so can tie your hair in place, and plants an unexpected but welcome smooch onto your cheek before he pulls back to admire his handiwork. 

''Let's give it another go. This time paying extra attention not to get mauled by a group of... What else did you call them?''

''Aggressive water hedgehogs.'' 

He snorts, ''Yeah. Aggressive water hedgehogs.''

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> adsfdghfjaaa I'm so sorry for my absence, my writing tool (that I paid for) crashed on me iN THE MIDDLE OF WRITING and I couldn't boot it back up and had to delete it because of all the virus warnings so basically I lost all my drafts and list of ideas. I was an anxiety-driven mess this whole week tryna solve THIS mess and I couldn't write anything because I was too dependant on that app basically (typewriter sounds...mmm) and I was flailing around waiting for the company to get back to me. The mess still isn't solved but I really wanted to write so I make do with what I have atm!


	13. Bribing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You bribe Louis to get some dirt on Yakumo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So people asked what did Yakumo do when drunk to piss Louis off, and the thing is, I haven't the slightest idea. I may or may not write something else with this concept in general, but this is what came out in the meantime. Don't blame me, my fingers typed these without the assistance of my brain.
> 
> Also, happy new year! I added a little something called 'To Another Year, Together' to the Yakumo series in honor of the new year, so feel free to check it out!

Gifting Yakumo any type of alcohol you came across during your explorations was nothing out of the ordinary. It was a set routine at this point. You would find an undamaged bottle of liquor, sake or brandy, keep it to yourself for a while and then pass it on to Yakumo when you see it fit. He would light up and thank you for the valuable gift, and that was usually it. Sometimes he would ask you to crack some open with him as well since drinking alone was no fun, or so he says. You are almost certain it is his way of roping his favorite person--you, into keeping him company while doing one of his favorite pastimes--drinking. 

He let something else slip one day when you waved a nicely kept bottle of boutique sake in his face though. 

''Let's celebrate tonight. Though I'll have to make sure not to piss Louis off by drinking too much again.''

You wave him off, thinking Louis just got a bit huffy and maybe scolded him, and 'pissed off' was just Yakumo's way of speech, so you ask him playfully what did he do this time. Yakumo gets antsy for some reason, clearing his throat and avoiding your gaze. 

''I, uh, rather not talk about it. It's embarrassing.'' He rubs the back of his neck guiltily. Your mouth drops open.

Now, Yakumo may be considered a perfectly accurate embodiment of the word ''annoying'' for people who value the healthy condition of their eardrums, and for people who dislike public displays of affection in general (honestly, the amount of times you had to pry him off of you and remind him that you are in a public setting, he has the gall to look like a kicked puppy every single time too, _damn him_ ). 

...But to piss _Louis_ off? The face-carved-out-of-stone-always-calm-and-collected-gentleman Louis, of all people? Now _that_ is going to take some work. 

It's not like you think Louis is incapable of getting mad, he just manages to stuff his feelings in a bottle well. So for someone so used to bottling things in to go off like that, Yakumo must have done something pretty bad. You can kind of guess where this is going, but you need the full story. From the source. 

Louis is easy to spot, perched up at his usual place with his nose buried in a book. You pull a chair from the nearby table, flip it around and plop down next to him, looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to notice you. 

His undivided attention is kept on the book though, and patience is not your strongest suit, so just as he is about to flip the page, you swiftly pluck the book from his hands, tucking a finger in before you close the book so he does not lose his page. 

Louis blinks at his empty hands a few times and faces you with a sigh. ''What is it?'' 

''I need information.'' the grin that tugs at your lips makes him shift in his seat as he raises his eyebrows, urging you to continue. 

''So, I gave Yakumo another bottle of alcohol today-'' you start, but Louis interrupts you with a groan. 

''I know you can't deny him anything, but please stop feeding him alcohol. I don't fancy cleaning up after a severe case of drunk Yakumo once again.'' 

''That's it!'' you beam, ''I wanted to ask about that. Sorry to make you remember unpleasant memories, but I just have to know. What happened? Tell me.'' your voice drops to a whisper and you lean closer to him, as an indication that you will keep his secret safe and sound. 

''Ask him yourself. It's not my place to--'' he cuts off when you silently slip him a box from under the table. Louis' eyes widen at the sight of an antique fountain pen, an unused leather-covered journal and the next volume of the faded comics he was reading. 

''You know damn well I did, and he didn't answer me. Spill the beans pretty boy, and I will grant you half my stash of tomato oden sandwiches.''

Embarrassed at the nickname, he clears his throat, though it could very well be the mention of the sandwiches, ''I-- how do you even _find_ these? Is there some sort of black market you're running that I'm not aware of?''

A close eyed smile with a tilt of your head is the only response you give. He nods, and the deal is struck. He leans in closer to whisper, 

''It's not a big deal, really. You have seen him drunk multiple times, I'm sure you can guess the gist of it. It's just him being loud, annoying, clingy and unreasonable.''

You almost snort at that, and you don't know if he words it that way because they are close friends or because he is still salty about the whole incident. He continues,

''But of course, how could I forget, there is also the _lovely_ addition of witnessing him vomit all over the place,'' you cringe, ''and then taking care of him after. I'm not mad because these particular things happened, but because he doesn't know how to take care of himself and when to stop. Drinking your feelings away when you don't want to think about anything solves nothing. He gets somber at times and loses control, is all.'' His eyes soften, and you can see how much he cares about his best friend. He is quick to recollect himself though. 

''But I think what he wants to hide from you is that he can't hold his alcohol well for someone who drinks so much. In his defense, rightfully so, since you are sure to make fun of him. Especially after going through the trouble to bribe me to get the information.'' 

He leans back in his chair and shrugs, saying that is all you are getting from him, and expectantly holds out his hand, waiting for you to give his book back. You flip the book open right where he left off and hand it over. 

''Expect the sandwiches on your desk by tomorrow.'' you wink and get up, put the chair back where it was and walk away. 

Now, what to do with this information...

Just imagining drunk Yakumo is pretty damn funny, but to think he would have other, deeper reasons for drinking. It makes you feel for him, and suddenly both your heart and your body is heavier than it was moments before. 

Yakumo doesn't question why you kicked the door to his room open and threw yourself on top of him, wrapping an arm around him to bring him closer and wrapping a leg around him to keep him in place. He assumes it must be one of your affectionate fits.

...You can always make fun of him later.


	14. The Hunter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, would you look at the time? It's loving Jack hours babey!!

It has been bugging you for what felt like ages. The moment you first 'met' the Hunter, you knew you had a strong bond with that man, from the way your heart ached and swelled at the same time. Even with the blood of another revenant that stained his blade glittering in the sunlight, you did not feel the slightest bit of fear. Even after witnessing him stab a woman in the heart with what you assumed was a relic, an instinctive feeling that you must stand by his side made its way in your mind, and the area just below your heart stings.

 _'Who are you,'_ you want to ask, _'who are you to me?'_

Just as you are about to take a step towards him, he disappears along with the woman, taking the answers to your questions unasked with him.

The next time you meet, the memories of your past with him are completely recovered.

_''You! I destroyed you with my own hands! How are you here now?!''_

His wording is as misleading as ever, just like it was when he was not ordering the whole squad around, a quality befitting of a brooding commander. You have learned that his way of caring for others is not necessarily all soft and fluffy, but he has always had looked out for you. Just like he had when you were on the verge of frenzying because you did not heed his warnings and used drain on the Queen, drinking her blood on top of inhaling too much of her miasma when she knocked your mask off. 

The way he bid you goodbye before he blew a hole through your chest is still fresh in your mind. 

Harsh as his words may be, you cannot help but notice that he looks just the slightest bit relieved to see you alive. Perhaps it is but your wishful thinking. 

The events that come after that feel like a blur. Eva barging into the home base a breath away from frenzying, Mido handing Jack's ass back to him, Eva as a successor...

It is not until everyone has a chance to take a breather in the home base that you feel like you can finally talk things out with him. And maybe sock him in the jaw, because damn, that fall hurt like hell.

You walk over to him, more calm and collected than you had thought you would be. Mercy kill or not, it would be given that you would shy away from a man who has killed you once. And not just in the revenant way of temporarily getting rid of another revenant and sending them back to whatever mistle they had rested before. Jack had meant to _kill_ you, to destroy your heart and turn you to ash.

It is not like you are completely going to ignore that and welcome him with open arms, the fact that he did not even hesitate to move to kill you still leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, after all. And a little bit of spite. By a little bit, you mean a lot of spite. It's not like you can help it. One cannot be in total control of their emotions, after all. 

He straightens up from his position against the pillar when he hears your footsteps. 

''Jack.''

He gives you a stiff nod as a greeting. An awkward silence follows. 

'' Uh, I didn't plan this through when I walked up to you like I own the place. Should I try again?'' you mutter the last part mostly to yourself, and his lips twitch up at that.

'' I know it's not your forte to think before you act.'' 

Now looks like a good time to lighten up the conversation a bit. 

'' Oooh, is that how it is? Are you coming at me right now?!''

He does not respond, and his face returns to being grim. Or normal. It depends. He sighs and tilts his head like he is about to say something, but there is this urgent feeling that you must not let him speak lest things get sour, so you jump right in. 

'' Listen, I know you well enough to know what you are going to say. I'm not here to tell you _'Oh everything's okay, I don't mind the fact that you killed me, welcome back!'_ or something like that. Far from it, really. We were both at fault, and it was our code that we would free each other from the misery before any of us could frenzy if it came to that. I was careless and slew the Queen at the cost of my own life. Almost, I mean. I was about to frenzy and you 'killed' me before that could happen, like anyone who cares for me would. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. I still feel a bit off about it, but I care about you. You were a valuable friend. I would like to mend that friendship back to where it was before, if possible. We were never so buddy-buddy in the first place, but our bond was solid. Do consider the offer.'' 

Before you could walk off looking all cool after your monologue, Jack responds,

''That I will.'' 

You smile at him, and he calls your name before you turn around. 

'' Do me a favor and go talk to your lover. It's bothersome how pitiful he looks.'' He nods in Yakumo's direction with a sigh. 

''Huh? Uh, okay?'' You look towards the direction he pointed, and your eyes meet Yakumo's just before he sharply averts his eyes. You walk over and plop down next to him on the barstool. 

''Yakumo?'' 

He hums as he takes a swig from the flask he is holding. It draws your attention that he is not meeting your eyes. You call out to him again, but the response you get is the same. 

...Oh my god. He is sulking. 

''Babe? Baby? Love of my life? Tell me, what's got you sulking huh, darling?'' 

He moves to take another swig, but you hold his hand and gently lower it back onto the table and scoot closer to him. He gulps loudly but stays silent. He does not lie and tell you it's nothing or brush you off. You give his hand a concerned squeeze. 

''Hey,'' you mutter softly, ''talk to me.'' 

The sound that leaves him is a rumble between a growl and a groan. 

_''...Jack.''_

'' Yes, I've been told you've been glaring holes into him. I know he is the Hunter and his presence might unnerve you with all the things he has done in the past, but he is a good person. That much has been proven with Nicola and Eva, yeah?''

'' What is he to y--'' He catches himself, ''I-- Do you still love him?'' He blurts out. 

''Huh? Love him how?'' 

'' What do you mean how? I mean, it's not unusual for ex-lovers to have feelings for each other, like in those shitty dramas--''

''Hold on, back up. Truth be known, love, I do not know what in the god damned hell you are talking about.'' 

Yakumo looks almost offended. '' You don't know? I'm talking about you and Jack. You still have feelings for him, right? I mean, why else would you sit around spacing out with your hand on your chest ever since your first encounter with him? It must have been hard for you too, forgetting you had a lover--''

You have to physically hold yourself back from rolling your eyes as you press a finger to his lips. 

''One. Jack and I are not lovers, never were. Two. I sat around spacing out with a hand on my chest because it stung when I've been trying to remember the fact that he shot me right through the chest. Three. I currently hold all of my memories, dumbass.'' He opens his mouth to retort, but you press your finger further against his lips with a glare. '' _Four._ I never forgot that I have a lover. And that is you. Any questions so far?'' 

He shakes his head. 

''Good. Honestly, I can't believe you would think that I would leave you when 'a lover from the past' shows up. I love you. I love _you_ and _you alone._ Have you got that, soldier?'' 

You pull your finger away from his lips, and your hand settles on his cheek. He closes his eyes and leans into your touch, sighing out a quiet 'yes' with a ghost of a smile on his face. 

'' It's just... you are family to me. The thought of losing you scares me. I don't want to lose you.''

Your throat is on fire. 

''I'm sorry... for assuming things. Never leave me. _Please._ '' 

His broken plea is heart-wrenching to hear, and you cannot stop the single tear that escapes your eye as you softly press your lips to his.


	15. Dumb and Dumber

Back in your days as teammates, Jack has told you that you can evaluate the compatibility of a battle partner from how well they adapt and react to your whimsical moves. You had not paid it much mind then, thinking it way just his way of indirectly scolding you for not putting too much thought into your combat plans, making him have to adjust and re-evaluate the plan of attack. You realize his words hold at least _some_ weight reminiscing about the times you have spent exploring with Yakumo. 

Perhaps it is a habit he picked up, back from his days in the military. Teaming up with many other soldiers with various personalities called for quick thinking and the ability to act according to the situation on hand for a mission to go smoothly. It was not unheard of that a soldier -experienced or not, falls victim to their emotions and goes against orders, putting the mission and their comrades at risk by doing so. In scenarios like these, it all boils down to do or die, after all.

He has adapted to your way of fighting frighteningly fast, and his ability to read your moves are unmatched. The moment you would bolt towards the Lost when it unexpectedly lowered its guard for but a second, he would pull back, whip out his gun and assist you from the back as you finish it off. At times when you want to deal with the enemies from a distance, he would hold his sword up to guard you from enemy snipers the moment he hears the click of your bayonet. When you do not have enough Ichor or your health is not at its prime, he would head on ahead to either deal with a group of Lost by himself, or mess them up enough so you would be able to deal with them without too much trouble. 

It is unsettling sometimes, how closely he is watching you. He lets you lead the way and matches his speed to yours when mapping areas, deduces the state of your health from the way you breathe, the grip you have on your weapon, even. A bullet whizzes past you and gets the Lost off your back enough for you to compose yourself when you lose your footing in a moment of carelessness. His attention to your well-being is not limited to in-combat experiences, though. Encouraging words and reassuring pats somehow always find you when you need it the most. As worried as you are about him reading you like an open book, you cannot help but feel awe whenever he balances you out. Such harmony does not come without a price, however.

Your dumbass has rubbed off on him. 

It is not as bad as Louis nags him about, he has the one collective brain cell the two of you share, most of the time. 

...Not always though. How the two of you operate with no brain cells whatsoever, Louis has yet to understand. It is quite the phenomenon to him though, so he keeps track of these situations. 

One time was when you were fumbling about with your blood code and accidentally activated one of your gifts. Yakumo immediately does the same, thinking you are preparing for an enemy unseen by him. Louis also readies his weapon, until you call out sheepishly,

''Oops, didn't mean to do that. My bad.'' 

Yakumo sends you a look which Louis reads as the exasperated but loving look he sends you whenever you do something dumb. Louis sighs as he switches to a relaxed stance. At least you were not too far from the mistle you started with. 

Ichor is something that replenishes over time, and you do not rely on your gifts that much besides boss fights anyway, but Louis' scrutinizing gaze makes you do the walk of shame during the small distance to the mistle. Since your head is bowed down, you do not see that Yakumo elbows Louis in the rib for making you look like that. Nor do you see the fond look they exchange with a shake of their heads as you replenish your Ichor at the mistle. 

The other time was when you were descending to a different part of the area in the elevator. You guard suddenly, and Yakumo copies your move out of instinct. After a few seconds, Louis breaks the suspense by calling your name. 

''What are you doing?'' 

You relax your stance and guard again without facing him, voice aloof. 

''Practicing my grip. Almost got knocked off my feet the last time I tried to guard.'' 

Louis turns to Yakumo just in time to catch him lower Oni Bane and look around the elevator, acting like he was like that the whole time. Louis hides his snort with a cough. 

He is not particularly fond of the genre, but the two of you would make great material for a comedy.


	16. Adoption and Favoritism

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao I thought I was done with this series at the satisfying number of 15 chapters but inspiration struck so here we are. Also I felt like strayed from writing crack for a while. Special thanks to codehimbo on tumblr, this was mainly inspired by this post of theirs: ( https://codehimbo.tumblr.com/post/189672779758/player-okay-were-gonna-be-smart-and-take-the )

Leaning against the middle part of the bar to make it easier for the others to see you, you clap your hands twice, the sharp sound echoing through the base, loud enough to get everyone's attention.

''Attention, ladies and gents! I have an announcement to make.''

Murasame sticks her head out of her workshop, Coco straightens up from her position near the car and turns her body slightly towards you, Davis mirroring her movement. Louis looks up from his book and shifts the chair your way, Jack and Eva both stopping their conversation to make their way over to the bar. Mia looks your way when she is done pouring her herbal tea into her floral teacup, and you see Io slowly emerge from under the blankets the gang has draped over her previously sleeping form. Yakumo also stirs from his nap at the stool far to your left and raises his head to rest his chin in his palm. 

'' Hm, is it the wedding date?'' Murasame snickers.

''What? No!'' You hear Coco huff in amusement at your unusually high pitched response. 

'' Then it's none of my business.'' Murasame slithers back into her den with a smug smirk, leaving you yelling after her in vain. 

'' I mean, you're not technically wrong, but- HEY! Come back here you...'' At least she is mature enough to stick her tongue at you before slamming the door shut. 

''Ugh, anyway. As you may or may not know, the next mission is extremely important.'' 

Out of the corner of your eye, you see that Coco has immediately left the chat since she knows you will come to her if anything is needed for the mission. 

'' So, for things to go smoothly, I must be smart and choose a partner that best suited for the task at hand.''

''A capable soldier,'' Jack straightens up at that,

''Intelligent, calculating,'' Louis shifts in his seat,

''Pretty, just because eye candy motivates me,'' Mia squints,

''And someone with exceeding physical strength.'' Davis raises his eyebrows. 

You take a deep breath to prolong the dramatic silence, and with a grin tugging at your lips,

''...Yakumo, you're up. Come on, we've got things to do.'' 

To which everyone collectively rolls their eyes and groans. Eva's light chuckle against the horde of complaints is music to your ears. 

''Now you're just flexing, kiddo.'' Jack seems to have equipped his scolding voice, though the hint of amusement does not escape you. 

''What?'' You feign innocence, ''You always need a tank!''

'' I call a severe case of favoritism.'' Louis chimes in, arms crossed. Mia nods, pouting. 

You gasp in mock offense, ''There is no such thing! You wound me, pretty boy!'' 

'' You're just mad she set you up and swerved at the last second, old man.'' Yakumo shoots Jack a lopsided grin as he walks up to you. 

Lightly smacking his arm, you quip, ''Don't be mean to my dad, Yakumo, he's just being a grump.'' 

Silence follows. 

'' Wait, shit, I didn't mean that, help, mom- I mean- _Eva!_ '' you blurt out, which makes Eva latch onto Jack's arm excitedly, sparkling eyes looking between you and him. 

Jack calls out your name. ''...Do you see me as a father figure?'' His voice is too monotone for you to make out what he is feeling, and you are too embarrassed to lift your gaze to his.

'' Psh, no?'' your voice quivers as you continue to babble, ''If anything, I see you as a bother figure because you're always bothering _mye--_ '' Jack squeezes your nose shut just as you are about to finish your sentence. Your eyes meet his, and he looks... not mad, to your relief. You daresay he is happy, it truly unsettles you that you can not discern whether it is because he does not mind the nickname or because he just has new material to make fun of you with. 

Jack pulls back with a smirk on his face and turns to Yakumo. 

''Have her home by ten.'' 

To which Yakumo salutes lazily and with an identical smirk on his face, replies, 

''Yes, sir!''

A variety of chuckles bounce off the walls, and you feel Io pat your shoulder for reassurance. With a loud whine, you pull Yakumo by the sleeve of his blood veil to the mistle. Before you teleport to the destined area, you see Eva waving at you two with a smile adorning her face,

''Have fun on your date!''

''Ugh, spare me...'' you sigh out, and Yakumo buries your face to his chest, shoulders shaking from laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ps. I have returned to my roots and realized I also have the hots for Louis (sdfghjk I may or may not have switched lanes), so I'm working on something for him rn! Rejoice, Louis stans, it's FLUFF!!


	17. Nerf This!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yakumo has a Nerf gun and is having none of your self deprecating bullshit.

Not surprisingly, the discovery of the century has been made by yours truly. 

It is nothing out of the ordinary to find unlikely items, anywhere, everywhere. You know, the occasional block of cheese on top of a snowy mountain, a perfectly packaged fountain pen sticking out from a pile of rubble, literally any food item that is neither rotten nor squished beyond recognition. The usual stuff you find lying around in the areas you map. 

Finding items such as this was a 'treasure hunt', as you called it. If the main areas you scout are considered 'treasure areas' or 'treasure maps', then the Depths are a downright toy box. _Literally._

With the neon orange stripes creating a stark contrast against the suffocatingly dull brown of the depths, there was no way it could escape your 'hawk eyes', as Yakumo often likes to say. 

Recognition washes over you as you scramble over to the item, nearly falling flat on your face in the process. Hurriedly pulling it out of the rubble, you dust it off, and lo and behold, it is the best thing you have ever gotten your hands on. 

Yakumo chuckles at your delighted squeal as he makes his way over to see what kind of gem you have found this time that got you this excited, nearly choking on his spit when you sharply turn around and shove it near his face with sparkling eyes. 

_A fully functioning Nerf gun._

_It even has a few foam darts inside._

He cannot decide whether to be impressed by your scouting skills or to be scared of the sheer amount of luck you have. Either way, you share one look and a silent agreement is reached. Abort mission. It is back to the base with the two of you, and you are going to have a blast. 

It is not _as_ fun since you have only one gun and cannot go against one another, so it is only fair you settle for the second-best option. 

Annoying people into oblivion was a walk in the park with your discovery at hand, so much so that Coco has to step in and ground you both before Jack could step in (blade in hand, probably). Ever so merciful, she has not taken your new toy from you, only forbidding you from using it on other people. 

'' Foam darts or not, it is not pleasant to be shot in the head or neck when you don't expect it'', she says, and you cannot help but giggle. The inner child in you is overjoyed to see her being so motherly towards you, and Coco must have caught on, because she gives you an unamused look, but lets you off after trapping you in her arms and making a mess of your hair, your squeals echoing throughout the base. 

Neither you nor Yakumo had to time to play with it for a few days, too busy getting your asses handed to you by a particularly hard-to-beat boss.

Deciding to take a breather after getting mauled over and over again, Yakumo comes over to your room to relax for a bit before you set off again.

He grabs the gun from the bed before plopping down, occasionally shooting at the ceiling and catching the foam dart as it bounces back, loads it and repeats the motion. You sit on the chair across the room, legs crossed with an elbow propped up on the desk, your chin digging into your palm as your eyes mindlessly follow the dart as it bounces back. 

'' So,'' Yakumo breaks the silence, ''Where do you think we are going wrong?'' 

''Nowhere. I just suck and I hate this boss--''

_**Thwack!** _

_''Ow!''_ Rubbing the spot where the dart hit you, ''Okay, Coco was right, these do hurt quite a bit.'' you mutter under your breath. ''What was that for?!'' 

'' You were talking down about yourself. I will have none of it.'' Both the tone of his voice and his stare is so serious that it almost makes you want to shrink back a bit. Almost. 

''It's true! We wouldn't be having this much trouble if I was skilled enough! And I rely too much on you to heal me. I think we've died about four times from that! Four!'' 

_**Thwack!**_

''Hey! Quit it!'' 

''No. Not unless you start looking at this from an analytical standpoint.'' His eyes bore into yours as if daring you to say the wrong thing. You would think he was threatening you with an actual gun like the one strapped to his waist instead of a harmless toy. 

''I am!''

'' Nope, you're being self-deprecating. You can do better than that, babe. As for your other excuses, you are skilled enough, we just haven't assessed the boss enough for you to use your skills accordingly. And I am your _partner._ Of course, you're gonna rely on me to heal you when I have enough health. I would be sad if you didn't trust me enough to do that.'' 

Rolling your eyes, ''If only it wouldn't go to w--'' you stop yourself when Yakumo cocks the gun up. Sighing, you correct yourself. ''If only I could make use of it in time..?'' 

Yakumo nods and lowers the gun, moving to sit up. ''Slightly better. Go on.'' 

'' I should look for a pattern in the enemy's attacks and act accordingly.'' 

''Mhm. And?''

'' Be mindful of my health and yours and where I stand when healing so the situation doesn't turn into a whack-a-mole?''

Yakumo laughs, ''Yeah, now we're talkin'. Come on, let's kick some ass and get some rest. Ah, the mix of betrayal and offense in your face when I shot the first dart was incredibly cute, by the way.'' 

Clicking your tongue, you bite back a smile. At least you feel better.


	18. First Meeting

''Hey, do you remember how we first met?'' 

You blurt out after clearing your throat, shifting on the couch as you switch the way you cross your legs. Yakumo turns to look at you with a hum, confusion evident on his features.

>   
>  It was some time after you and Louis defeated Oliver--what was left of him anyway. Louis had taken you to the home base after seeing your abilities, possibly to question you about them. He did say he was researching blood beads, and your powers could affect his studies of the matter. 
> 
> After doing your rounds and greeting the people there, all that was left to greet the brooding redhead at the corner eyeing you ever since you have stepped foot into the place. It made you feel...alert if anything. His gaze was not exactly hostile, just full of suspicion, which can be justified since a total stranger is now in his house. Swallowing your discomfort, you made your way over to him. How bad can it be? At worst, everyone else had been civil so far, albeit a bit distant. But as soon as your eyes met before you could even open your mouth,
> 
> '' Listen, all revenants carry some secret with them. But don't do anything funny. I'll be keeping an eye on you until this talk with Louis settles down.'' he says curtly. 
> 
> Resisting the urge to roll your eyes, you give him a stiff nod. 
> 
> ''Right.'' You huff out. So much for first impressions.  
> 

''Where did that come from?'' He scoots closer to your side of the couch as you discreetly shove the book in your hand between the cushions.

'' I just remember thinking you were such an asshole.'' Yakumo winces. Straightening up from the armrest, you put a hand on your hip, waving your pointer finger in the air for extra comical effect,

 _'' All revenants carry some secrets with them. Don't do anything funny.''_ you imitate him with your deepest rough-and-gruff voice before Yakumo jumps at you and takes your hand in his and shoves it down to your lap, a blush creeping on his face. 

''Aah, don't remind me.'' He groans.

'' You know, if I were someone with ill intentions, telling me you were going to keep an eye on me would only make me more cautious of you. Dumb move on your part.'' You snicker, ''You sure warmed up to me rather quickly for someone who treated me like I was a raisin cookie when you were expecting chocolate chip.'' 

He tugs you towards him by the hand, pulling you closer to nuzzle your cheek, drawing a giggle out of you. 

''I have done _no_ such thing. Also hey, cut me some slack. You know I'd rather get to know the person before I act all buddy-buddy with them.'' He sighs, his breath tickling your cheek. You pull your hand free to throw an arm around his shoulder, your hand settling to play with the hair on the nape of his neck, tugging lightly. 

'' I know, I could tell from the complete one-eighty you pulled when I decided to join you guys.''

>   
>  '' So, will you join us?'' Louis extends a hand, desperation seeping into his voice despite his calm demeanor. He visibly relaxes when you shake his hand with a nod. 
> 
> ''So, it's a done deal?'' Your head whips around to see the redhead from before. ''Well then! From now on, you're one of us.'' There is no trace of his earlier behavior, it is almost as if he has flipped a switch. He absentmindedly fiddles with the apple in his hand--where did that even come from? He then throws the apple at you, and you squint slightly after you instinctively catch it. You can not help but wonder if he would have head-shotted you with it had you not agreed to team up. 
> 
> ''I'm Yakumo Shinonome. Looking forward to seeing you in action.'' He too extends a hand, and it takes a moment before you grab his hand. 
> 
> ''Huh? Oh, yeah. Um, likewise.''  
> 

'' What were you even doing with that apple? I would've mistaken you for a cheap villain doing an edgy monologue from a distance. You know how apples add to the sheer assholery.''

'' Oh, I know what you mean! There was one bad guy in Bugarally like that, I remember he always had an apple at hand when he was explaining his evil plans, Never really got why. It was just the munchies in my case, though.'' He shrugs. You decide to let it slide that revenants do not need to eat. Or that he was not even eating it. 

''So you didn't know the meaning?'' 

''Of the apples? I just told you-'' 

''I meant you throwing an apple at me.'' 

'' Is there a meaning?'' He pulls back to look at you properly, and you can barely suppress your grin as you reach back to the book and flip open the page you wanted him to read. 

'' Perhaps,'' you plop the book onto his lap and point to the passage. 

_''...The Ancient Greeks did so by proposing to their darlings in quite an extraordinary way--by throwing an apple at their chosen wife.''_

Yakumo chokes on air and looks at you, only to find you smirking at him. ''You know I had no idea of this, come on-'' Before he finishes his sentence, you grab him by the chin to make him face the book again, tapping your finger on the next sentence. 

_''...If the woman caught the apple, she has accepted the marriage proposal.''_

'' _Darling,_ '' you quip, ''I never knew you saw me in that light when we first met.'' 

Yakumo looks like he is overheating from wrecking his brain for an answer, a comeback of any kind, but his mind fails him. He stands still for a few moments, his face flushed, before a sound akin to a growl rips from his throat as he drags a hand through his hair. He puts the book to the side before he squishes your cheeks together with a huff. 

''Don't...joke about this. I'll... I mean, I would like to do it properly. After all this,'' he vaguely gestures around, ''is over.'' 

Looking at his sincere expression, you can not find it in you to tease him about it further. Stunned as you are about the fact that he told you he was thinking of proposing after the world has some certainty for a future, your arms move on their own, squishing his cheeks with an equal amount of force, a loopy smile adorning your face. 

''I'm looking forward to it.''


End file.
